Lou Gehrig Jersey Brings Big $ in Louisville

Originally purchased for less than $10 by a man who simply wanted to outfit a new church league softball team, one of the few surviving Lou Gehrig game-used jerseys sold for a lot more in the Louisville Slugger auction.

A Lou Gehrig game-worn jersey from the 1938 season, once sold by the Yankees for $9, survived long enough to be consigned to The Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory Auction, held this weekend at the plant. A number of serious collectors chased the jersey before it was finally sold for $350,000 in live bidding. The anonymous buyer will actually pay $402,500 once Hunt Auctions tacks on its buyer’s premium.

The annual event also saw big prices for some other vintage game-used memorabilia. A 1955 Warren Spahn Milwaukee Braves jersey brought $46,000 while a game-worn Lefty Grove Philadelphia Athletics cap might be the most expensive headgear in baseball history when the buyer writes a check for $29,900.

Several items from the family of Bill McKechnie were sold including a 1928-29 home jersey which sold for $17,250.

A rare Jesse Burkett autographed Albertype Hall of Fame postcard got signature collectors excited–and competive. It was finally nailed down for a price of $37,950.

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].